All right, this week was the week. I got all of my normal Sunday chores out of the way early so I could settle in and focus on the third episode of Luck. After two weeks of struggle, I was determined to successfully nail all most of the plot nuances in Luck. I am ready for you, Luck. I can’t wait to find out what exactly is happening.
Here’s the thing about this week’s episode: Not much really happened. It seemed like a lot of our main characters spun their wheels for the better part of the episode and returned us right to where we were before. It’s interesting (or unfortunate depending on how you see it) that a show with only a nine episode season could have an episode where nothing of any significance really happens.
Despite the lack of forward motion in the story, this week’s episode was certainly not without its charms. Dennis Farina continues to interject humor to the proceedings while playing Ace’s sidekick. When asked by Nathan (Hello, Patrick J. Adams) if he can use the bathroom, Gus looks at him and simply replies “America, kid.” The companionship and help he provides to Ace is instrumental to the show. For his part, it seems like Nathan is going to prove worthwhile in Ace’s preparation for his showdown with the ever-mysterious Mike. Adams played this character confidently and ably. Whatever Ace seems to have planned, it’s clear that he (and obviously David Milch) are playing the long game on this one. We may not know much about this situation for a few weeks. That being said, I am going to start conducting job interviews like Ace Bernstein.
Unlike Ace, our four degenerates had a fairly eventful week. My favorite scene of the episode is their dumbfounded reaction to meeting their horse for the first time. Though I tease them, I can’t imagine my reaction to owning a racehorse would be a lot different than the reaction of the Degenerate Four. I truly admire Milch’s desire to capture all the realism of every scene. Even though they finally got the horse that they have coveted, the was merely a continuation of last week’s storyline. At this point, it seems like its the Degenerate Four and not Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman that is the heart of the show.
Though the Degenerate Four is the heart of the show, the real star of the show is the track itself. It’s clear that everyone we have crossed paths with to this point is nothing without the Santa Anita racetrack. Watching characters like jockey Ronnie Jenkins turn to drugs and other means to get through his life when the only thing tethering him to this world (the track) is taken away from him. The same is true of Nick Nolte’s character. In this episode, we finally saw him away from the track. However, much like the rest of the gang, we see the worst version of him away from the track. After Ronnie’s injury, Walter bemoans his misfortune by drinking and working through a conversation that he clearly should have had with someone a long time ago. Unfortunately, the track always beckons.
When I started watching the series, I thought I was supposed to feel sorry for these degenerate gamblers because they couldn’t stay away from the track. At this point, it’s clear that the track is the only thing keeping some of them going. If they were removed from the track, they would find another addiction to sustain them. It’s seems counter intuitive, but the track is keeping most of our group from discovering the darkest nature of their true selves. The track still holds promise. It’s the only place in their life where there is promise.
Now it’s your turn. What did you guys of this week’s episode of Luck? Let’s talk about on twitter or in the comments.
The TV Czar
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